OUR VIEW
Our choices are George W. Bush among Republicans and Bill Bradley
for the Democrats.

A vote for president of the United States is more
than the selection of one person among a collection of candidates.

It is a vote for the collection of ideas and ideals
that person represents. It is a vote for a person's ability to get
things done, to pull together a team that will guide the nation on the
right course. It is a vote for that nebulous quality called "leadership."

On Feb. 1, voters in New Hampshire will make their
choice in the nation's first presidential primary. We have brought
each of the major candidates to our offices to meet with our voters panel.
We have listened carefully to their answers to the panel's questions.
We have studied their positions. We have observed the way in which
they present themselves. Here are our choices:

For the Republicans

On the Republican side, our endorsement goes to Texas
Gov. George W. Bush.

Gov. Bush believes, as we do, that when government
builds up a surplus of tax money, that money rightly belongs to the people
whose labor produced it. Gov. Bush's $483 billion tax cut plan would
lower tax rates for all Americans and provide an economic stimulus to help
keep our economy running smoothly.

Gov. Bush has a strong education agenda based on
setting high performance standards and testing to measure that performance.
He would keep education under the control of local people by giving states
the maximum flexibility to use federal education dollars in the way they
see fit.

Gov. Bush would rebuild our decimated military, increase
pay for soldiers, pursue modern weapons technology and structure our forces
for the needs of the 21st century. He would reassess our military
deployments throughout the world and commit American forces only where
American interests are at stake.

With his experience as governor of Texas and in his
performance on the campaign trail, Gov. Bush has shown he has what it takes
to lead our nation as president.

For the Democrats

Former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley has nothing to
hide. He is an old-time liberal and unafraid to say so.

Such candor is refreshing, particularly in contrast
to Vice President Al Gore, who has learned the tactics of spin and smear
well at the feet of President Clinton.

Mr. Bradley has a broad and honest vision of government's
role in America. He wants to spend federal money heavily on education,
beginning early on in a child's life with a doubling of the Head Start
program and continuing through adulthood. He proposes a system of
scholarships and loan forgiveness to encourage people to become teachers.

Mr. Bradley opposes tax cuts except as a stimulus
in times of economic recession. Instead, America must take advantage
of the good times to move the nation forward, he says.

Mr. Bradley understands how things get done in government,
moving policies forward through consensus and sharing of credit for ideas.

He is the clear choice among the Democratic candidates.

Reprinted by Permission of
The Eagle-Tribune (Lawrence, MA). All Rights Reserved.